This page is a compendium of items of interest - news stories, scurrilous rumors, links, academic papers, damnable prevarications, rants and amusing anecdotes - about LAUSD and/or public education that didn't - or haven't yet - made it into the "real" 4LAKids blog and weekly e-newsletter at http://www.4LAKids.blogspot.com . 4LAKidsNews will be updated at arbitrary random intervals.

Monday, April 06, 2009

California Political Desk

April 03, 2009 — SAN FRANCISCO, CA — Today Mayor Newsom and Superintendent Carlos Garcia officially rescinded the majority of teacher layoffs set to take place this month by allocating over $23 million from the city´s Rainy Day Fund.

"Our commitment to education, demonstrated by the release of these rainy day funds, ensures that our teachers can spend their spring break relaxing instead of looking for new jobs," said Mayor Newsom. "We know that the school district, city, state and federal governments are all facing shortfalls. But San Franciscans can take pride in the fact that their city prioritizes education and once again, has stepped up to help."

Nearly all permanent teachers who received layoff notices on March 15 will have their notices rescinded and will have their jobs for the 2009-2010 school year. This represents 405 people who will be getting rescission letters over the next few days.

Almost all administrators who received ´may not renew´ or layoff notices will also be getting rescission letters within the week. Final determinations of the exact number of administrators whose notices will be rescinded are still being made, though it is likely to be almost all of the 144 positions who were noticed in March.

The Rainy Day Fund was created in 2003, when voters passed Proposition G. It requires the city to save revenue above 5% growth year over year, during good economic times. The school district is eligible for up to 25 percent of the total if two conditions are met: The school district must be getting less money per pupil from the state when adjusted for inflation, and must be facing significant teacher layoffs. Last year, the City provided the San Francisco Unified School District with $19.2 million in rainy day funding.